People who think that antibiotics are the cure-all for all diseases and should be prescribed for every infection should be educated about this misconception. For it seems as though the days of antibiotic effectiveness may soon come to an end. As it is, the situation seems to be getting more dire with time.

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‘Superbug’ NDM-1 detected in 13 European countries [Taken from Todayonline.com]

Some 77 cases of a multi-drug resistant “superbug” from India have now been detected in 13 European countries, a scientist at the European Union’s disease watchdog said yesterday.

Mr Dominique Monnet of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said he was very worried by the emergence of NDM-1, or New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase, which is resistant to even the most powerful class of antibiotics known as carbapenems.

“For me, NDM-1 and bacteria like it are more than superbugs. We’re talking about super superbugs,” he said.

NDM-1 is a gene carried by bacteria that alters it and makes it resistant to almost all antibiotics. It is often found in bacteria like E-coli. Reuters